Kingdom Animalia Rank Family | Class Polychaeta Phylum Annelida | |
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Similar Owenia, Magelonidae, Owenia fusiformis, Chaetopteridae, Opheliidae | ||
Bellissima larva mitraria di polichete oweniidae beautiful polychaete mitraria larva
Oweniidae is a family of marine polychaete worms in the suborder Sabellida. The worms live in tubes made of sand and are selective filter feeders, detritivores and grazers.
Contents
- Bellissima larva mitraria di polichete oweniidae beautiful polychaete mitraria larva
- Characteristics
- References
Characteristics
Members of this family live in tubes made of sand and shell fragments. The head of the worm does not bear a proboscis but has the mouth at the tip rimmed by some very short tentacles. The body segments lack parapodia and are smooth elongated cylinders. There are a large number of hooked chaetae or bristles on a small pad on the ventral side of each segment. These chaetae have two parallel teeth resembling claws which is a feature that distinguishes members of this family from other polychaetes. The posterior tip bears different appendages in different genera. Family members are unique in having a bell-shaped larval stage known as a mitraria larva. At one time the family was classified as the Ammocharidae.
